Seven Months
by dizzy - in - the - izzy
Summary: Spoilers For Aliyah! 'Seven months; three months with a replacement agent. She wasn’t that bad, but she wasn’t who we all wanted.' It's been seven months....


**Everyone is doing a story that goes after the season finale. So, I've been thinking for DAYS about this. I finally decided I wouldn't do a story that goes immeaditaly after the ending of Aliyah. But, this was too good to pass up. I was just thinking and thinking and thinking about it. And when it attacks, you write.**

_WARNING: Slight Spoilers For Aliyah!!!_

Disclaimer: I do NOT own NCIS, or anything affilaited with it... question: Who started this whole Disclaimer thing? Do we really have to do it? Oh, but I do own Probie Agent Kallan Ross.

Tony's POV.

* * *

Seven months; three months with a replacement agent. She wasn't that bad, but she wasn't who we all wanted. Abby shunned her completely, not answering her questions or taking the evidence from her. McGee was alright with her, but he kept his distance. I think she got my vibe, and stayed clear of me unless we were out in the field. Heck, even Gibbs hadn't welcomed her. But then again, he left not long after we got back from Tel Aviv. He left to go on a case, an undercover case, for a while. He had been gone six months, and that made Abby even angrier. I was left in charge, again, and we solved cases as usual, even faster. We all were on autopilot, moving around as if we had been programmed to do it a certain way.

"Well, I'm leaving." Probie Agent Kallan Ross said. I nodded at her, and she waved good-bye before leaving for the elevator. I looked over at McGee, who was getting up to leave.

"Where are you going?" I asked, and he paused.

"To go see Abby." He said, and then disappeared. I was left alone, again.

They did this to me often. I guess it was because they were afraid. I didn't seem to notice it, but after a while it became apparent that I had become an ass. Abby told me one day when I was in her lab, and I just stared at her. She nodded, and went back to working on her sample. I then began to see a pattern in my team. Ross would stay with us as long as there was a case, and as soon as she wasn't needed, she would leave. Go home, on a run, to the gym. Somewhere that wasn't around me. McGee was the same. But he seemed to tolerate me more. He knew why I was lashing out, and he accepted it. Sometimes when I got really angry, he let me yell at him for a good ten minutes. One time, I almost ended up crying in front of him, and he gently hugged me and walked away.

He knew, and he let me do what I needed to get over it. It was a silent support, and it helped on the worst days.

Vance was no big help. Heck, I was convinced that he had put Ross on our team to spy on us. To report back to him about how we were doing, what we were doing. But I didn't say it. I kept my mouth shut. We all did.

Abby was the one who seemed to be taking it the hardest. Every time she saw me, she would give me a huge hug, and she looked as if she could cry. I always brought her Caf-Pows though, making sure she was content. She seemed okay, but I could tell she was just as, or even more broken up as I was. I didn't lash out at her, but I knew she knew I was hurting. McGee told her everything, and what he didn't tell she got out of him eventually. It was sad, what the team had come too. This was us, the A-Team. Broken and hurting. We still were the best, but our essence was gone. It was a sad state.

I looked up as the elevator opened, and Ross came back inside. She walked right over to the stairs, taking them two at a time. She walked over to the director's office, and came back out five minutes later with the bastard. They moved to the elevator, not talking. I decided I didn't want to know, and sat back in my chair. I shut my eyes, feeling the silence of the room. No one was here anymore. Ducky had left, along with Palmer. Every other team was gone by now, and it was just my shattered team left. Like always.

I opened up my drawer, taking out a couple pictures. They were memories, and they started to fade after time. But when I picked up the photos, the memories came back and I was in another place. It reminded me of a corny movie, and I knew that _she_ would hit me for making a movie reference.

No, I stopped. I couldn't do that. I had to stop thinking about what _she_ would do. _She_ was gone. I let the memories over take me, and I eventually fell asleep. My dreams were terrorizing, the colors vivid and maddening. I saw _her_ face, but it wasn't how I remembered it. It was hurt, and broken. I woke with a start, on the floor, with my hands over my head. I sat up, whipping off my mouth. Those dreams haunted me, almost every night filling my head. It was then that I heard a voice, and looked up.

"McGee, what are you still doing here?" I asked him, looking at the time. It was 3 AM.

"I got called back in." He said, leaning up against _her_ desk.

"Why? I would have gotten a call too." I said. He shook his head.

"I'm not sure about that." McGee said, moving to his desk. He sat his stuff down, and then Abby came around the corner of the bull pen.

"McGee, please tell me you aren't lying. I'll kill you if you are." She said. McGee shook his head.

"Abby, I wouldn't lie about this." He said, and Abby jumped up in the air, her pig tails flying. I stood up, stretching my arms above my head. Abby moved over to me, patting my hair down. I smiled at her, the usual feeling that came with that kind of smile lost. I hadn't smiled and felt something in seven months. Wait, even longer than that. I shook my head at the thought, and moved around Abby to face McGee.

"You aren't telling me something. Junior field agent needs to spill." I said, and I saw the ghost of a smile at the term junior field agent.

"I can't. I'm sorry Tony. Vance's orders." He said, and I looked up at the door to the director's office.

"Bastard." I whispered, and Abby smacked my arm. I shrugged, moving to my old boss's desk. No one had touched it, feeling like we would be disobeying orders if we did. I could almost feel the head slap now.

"Well, why is this happening at 3 in the morning?" I asked, and McGee shrugged.

"Something's are inevitable." McGee said, and I growled at the words. I had heard them to many times before, in my head and said aloud. They brought back memories. I saw McGee take a step back, and calmed myself.

"What does that mean, 'something are inevitable'?" I spat.

"Well, you can't control the way things turn out. And this was one thing that couldn't be controlled." He said, and I scratched my head.

"I'm going to the bathroom." I said, walking away. I went into the bathroom, looking at myself. I cursed, washing off my face. I looked like I hadn't slept in months, which was true, and my hair was a mess. I flattened it with some water, and threw away the towel. I walked back out of the bathroom to see Palmer walking in. He looked extremely tired, and possibly hung over, but all the same he walked across the floor and into the elevator. I looked at Abby.

"Why is Palmer here?" I asked.

"To help Ducky." She said.

"We have a dead body?"

"Nope." She answered, and I slammed my hand down.

"What aren't you guys telling me!?" I asked, and then I felt hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Gibbs staring at me. I was shocked to see him, but happy at the same time. Abby ran over and hugged him, her squeals piercing my ears. When she was done, she let him turn to face me.

"Tony, how are you?" He asked, totally uncharacteristically. I gaped, but came back to reality.

"I'm okay boss." I said, and he smiled.

"I heard you did a good job at keeping what's left of this team together." He said. I nodded.

"Yes boss." I said. He nodded, moving over to his desk. He picked up the phone, and spoke quietly. I turned to Abby.

"Someone want to tell me what is going on!?" I yelled, and she jumped. She looked at McGee, then back at me.

"Well, you see Tony. I'm not sure if that is a good idea." She said. I rolled my eyes.

"If you tell me I'll let you know." I said. She laughed at me, but I didn't smile. I was still waiting for an answer.

"You'll see when it arrives DiNozzo." Gibbs said, and I turned to him.

"Gibbs, what is going on?" I asked, and he looked me straight in the eyes.

"You'll see soon." He said, walking to the elevator to go to autopsy. I groaned, moving back to my desk. I turned back on my computer.

"What are you doing?" McGee asked.

"Paperwork!"

--

After three hours of paperwork, the sun had finally risen. It was Sunday, and many agents weren't coming into work today. I wish I could go home, but too many memories. I stayed mostly at the office, sleeping and showering here. Gibbs came back then, placing a cup of coffee on my desk.

"Thanks boss." I said, unsure of what to think. He was being nice, well. Nice-ish. It was creeping me out, big time. But, everyone else seemed to be okay with it. Abby was just happy to have him back, and the same went for McGee. I was happy to not to have to order them around anymore.

"Go take a shower DiNozzo. You look like you need one. And brush your teeth, and change your clothes." Gibbs said, and then I was truly freaked out. But I followed his order.

"Yes boss." I said, getting up. I kept a watch on him, not sure what to think. After my shower, I changed into the only clean clothes I had, and brushed my teeth and hair. After going to the bathroom, I walked back into the bull pen. McGee was sitting at his desk, a cup of coffee in front of him. He and Gibbs were talking.

"Ducky said she'll be okay. She took a beating, but she's strong." McGee was saying, and he shut his mouth when he saw me. Gibbs nodded at me.

"You look better DiNozzo." He said as I sat down. I was beginning to feel suspicious.

"This reminds me of a movie." I said, and McGee stared at me. Then I realized I hadn't made a movie reference in seven months. He was surprised. I turned back to my computer, typing away at my report. After a while, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked up, and my hands stopped moving completely.

"Now this _really_ reminds me of a movie." I said, and she smiled. Her smile lit up the room, and I didn't see anyone else. But then I realized it was just us two, and I felt a feeling of happiness wash over me. She moved to sit at her former desk, her hands folding on top of the plastic. I watched her, my mouth dry and unable to form words. She watched me, her head slightly tilted. We didn't speak, and I started to feel my voice come back to me.

"What, how, who, when…. did you get here?" I asked, and she smiled.

"She's here because I brought her here, and because I would like you to meet Special Agent Ziva David, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, and I looked up at him as he strolled into the bull pen. He grabbed his cell phone off his desk, and then walked over to me.

"She's real." He whispered in my ear, and I smiled at him. He walked out of the bull pen, and I looked back at her. Seven months, and she still looked the same to me. Her hair was longer, but was still curly and dark. Her face was a little tanner, and possibly older. Her face was covered in bandages, as were her hands and arms. But her eyes still shown like diamonds in the sky. I smiled at the mere sight of her.

"Zee-vah." I said, relishing in the fact that I could say that name again and that I could draw it out. Her smile that followed told me that she was just as happy, and she got up. She walked over to my desk, sitting down on the edge. We still didn't speak, but I knew she was bursting. I wanted oh so badly to reach out and touch her, to make sure she wasn't going to disappear. But I didn't, not sure what I would do when I touched her. She kept her eyes on me, and I smiled uncertainly.

"Tony." She said, moving her hand over to mess up my hair. And that was it. I stood up and had her wrapped in my arms in a second. Her arms wrapped around my torso, and I shut my eyes. Her head was buried in my chest, and I moved my face to her hair. It smelled sweet and comforting. We didn't move from our positions, the feeling of each other overwhelming and enough for the moment. I could feel wetness on my shirt, but I didn't move to look at her face. I knew she just needed to let it out.

"I'm sorry Ziva. I'm so sorry." I whispered. She moved her face, her ear now right above my heart.

"Don't apologize Tony. It's a sign of weakness."

--

28 and a half hours later, I laid in my own bed for the first time in months. But I wasn't alone. Lying next to me was newly appointed Special Agent Ziva David. We were both fully clothed, having just fallen asleep in each other arms over a day ago. After our hug, we didn't speak. We just walked to the elevator, and down to the garage. I drove to my apartment, where I let her inside. She walked over the trash, the mess, and right into my room. I didn't follow her, not knowing what to do. After ten minutes, I walked in to see her curled up in my bed, wearing one of my shirts. I walked over to my dresser, changing into my pajamas. I curled up next to her, and within seconds we were wrapped up around each other again. We fell asleep that way, and now I was waking up that way.

I didn't know what to do. I was fully rested now, having caught up on some of the sleep I had missed over the past seven months. She was still asleep, her face peaceful and calm. I didn't want to wake her up, she looked so happy. So I decided not to. I just let her sleep in my arms, her face in the crook of my neck. I didn't know for how long, but eventually she woke up. It was a slow process, and it was a beautiful one.

"Tony?" She asked, sounding confused. I nodded.

"Morning sweet checks." I said, and I could practically her smiling. She didn't move, and I figured now was a good a time as ever.

"Ziva, what happened?" I asked, and she instantly stiffened. I let her think it out, and when she didn't answer I rubbed her back. "I'll go make breakfast." I said, getting up. She reached out after me, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead. I moved out into the kitchen, shaking my head as I walked. I made oatmeal, and brought her a bowl of it, along with milk and brown sugar. She sat up when I walked in, and I put the tray on her lap. I sat down next to her, slipping my feet back under the blankets. We ate in silence, our spoons clinking against the bowls.

"Do we have to go to work today?" She asked, and I shook my head. She nodded, putting her spoon down.

And she told me everything. Every little thing. At some points she smiled, and other she cried. I just reached over and whipped her tears away. She would smile, and continue. At times, she got a far off look in her eyes. I held her hand, and she started again. By the time we were done, we had both finished our food, and were curled up next to each other. When she finished, I was smiling and tear trails were evident on my cheeks. We sat in silence, and then she looked up at me.

"How have you been for the past seven months?" She asked, and I shut my eyes. She patted my cheek, and I looked at her.

"We have time." She said. So I told her everything, and she kept her eyes shut the whole time. I watched her face, and when I finished she opened her eyes. I could see small little tears, just barely visible on her bottom lashes. But because I was so close to her, I could see them plain as day. I reached up and gently brushed them away, feeling the wetness on my thumb. I moved my arm around her waist, pulling her back to me. She didn't oblige, but rather curled into my chest. I looked at the clock and saw that we had wasted 4 hours talking. It was now past noon.

"What do we do now?" Ziva asked me, tilting her head to look at me. I shrugged.

"I have no clue." I said. She scooted up in the bed, so she was eye to eye with me. I saw her eyes flicker to my lips, and then back to my eyes. I smiled, the feeling finally back. It was a good feeling, and it was just enough to push my head forward and capture her lips in a kiss. It was chaste, and quick, but it was nice. It was just right for our situation, just the perfect ending to a horrible seven months.

--

Seven months; each of them better than the last. For three she sat at her desk, doing paperwork because her slashed leg kept her from running. And when she finally was able to go back into the field, it was like nothing had ever happened. No one spoke of the seven months she was away, and everyone now knew what had happened. We didn't talk about it, seeing as it was best to let wounds heal then open them back up and look for blood. Agent Ross moved to another team, but now we were actually talking to her. Abby was talking again, her attitude much better than it had been seven months ago. Every time we went down to her lab, she would give each of us a hug, and tell us something she loved about us. It reminded me of when Jenny died, but even though that memory was dark, Abby's love was bright.

Gibbs was back to his old self in no time. I was glad he was back; glad I didn't have to be the boss. I was sick of that, having people wait for me to tell them what to do. I still would boss Probie around, but he just seemed to enjoy it. I received numerous head slaps, but each of them made me smile. It was good to have Gibbs back.

McGee never changed, but for some reason he would walk in every day like he was the happiest he'd ever been. I think he stopped taking things for granted and started thanking his lucky stars for what he had. Whenever I started to do my usual teasings, he would smile. I wasn't used to that, but he would smile. And when I started doing a movie reference, he would listen like this was the best movie in the world.

But, by far the greatest thing ever was having Ziva back. At first she was quiet, still healing from her wounds inside and out. But as soon as she was allowed back in the field, she was her usual old self. Cracking jokes, threatening to kill me, laughing as McGee got poison ivy again, and getting head slapped. But, not as hard as I always seemed to be slapped. I guess he was afraid he'd hurt one of her wounds that seemed to not want to go away on her face. She was still beautiful, as beautiful as she had always been. But now, she wasn't leaving and the possibility that she would wasn't ever present.

"DiNozzo, gas the truck. David, stop doing whatever you are doing to your desk. McGee, tell Ducky." Gibbs said, walking into the bull pen with his ever present coffee. I jumped up, grabbing the keys out of the air as they were thrown at me. Ziva stopped hacking at her desk, trying to get the gum that Agent Ross had stuck under it. As we walked over to the elevator, she glared at Ross.

"I'm going to kill her." She whispered, and I kissed her cheek.

"Don't please." I said. She looked at me.

"Why not?"

"Because; prisons don't let boyfriends into their girlfriend's cells to sleep next to them because they can't sleep without them." I said nonchalantly, and found myself wrapped up in her arms. I could feel her smiling.

"You are ridiculous." She whispered, kissing my cheek. I kissed her hair, and pushed her out of the elevator. As we drove to the crime scene, I reached over and grabbed her hand. She squeezed it back.

"This reminds you of a movie, doesn't it?" She asked, and I laughed.

"Yes, it does. It certainly does Special Agent Ziva David."

* * *

**You tell me, could this be made into a whole story? I hope not. I'm not creative enough to make up those whole seven months, and everyone seems to have a different take on it. I don't really feel like adding to all of those fics. It's already seeming cliche.**

Oh, and has anyone noticed how many fics are popping up where the team is teenagers? or younger? It's become a fad. I kind of get this weird feeling that it's like the team building camp fics. Everyone is going to write one.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Tell me what you think. Good, bad, awful, okay, too.... simple and happy? Leave me swear words if you want. I'm not so sure about this.

Izzy. :)


End file.
